The invention relates to a device for singulating overlapping flat mailings.
Single-stage (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,372,925; 2,941,653) and multistage (U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,441 A) singulating devices are known. For multistage singulating devices the individual stages of the singulating device are spatially separated from each other. These are belt drive groups (U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,441 A) arranged separately one behind the other. This means that gaps (roller diameter+twice belt thickness+safety distance) occur between the individual stages in the conveyor system. The mailings are no longer supported over their complete length in these transition gaps, but instead only driven/held over a short belt length. Because of this, uncontrolled changes in position (rotations) of the mailings can occur during accelerating (braking). When the front edge enters the succeeding conveyor section brief travel malfunctions, or damaged mailings (folding) can occur, depending on the angle at which the front edge of the mailing contacts the end of the roller.
The device known from U.S. Pat. No. 2,941,653 includes a singulating section in which the mailings are also accelerated and an acceleration section in which the mailings are further accelerated and in which additionally, in the case of a double conveyance, one of the two mailings is discharged.
In the known solutions, the position of the mailings is monitored by means of light barriers.
From FR 2 657 857 A1 the transfer of mailings over a transition gap between two transport sections with different travel speeds is known. From U.S. Pat. No. 3,372,925, U.S. Pat. No. 2,941,653 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,858,320 it is known in each case how mailings can be transferred between two conveyor sections at different travel speeds without transition gaps. Individually mounted deflection rollers of the conveyor belts of two adjacent conveyor sections arranged at an alternating height on a common axis are known for this purpose from U.S. Pat. No. 3,372,925 and from U.S. Pat. No. 1,858,320.